Thoughts and Notes
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Into the Name
Woven throughout the later chapters of Isaiah is the theme of a new Exodus, a return from the exile of Babylon. Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind, He frees the prisoners from the dungeon and leads them out. He causes His light to go before them, just as He did with the pillar of…
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For freedom
From the time of the Exodus, and throughout the Old Testament, God has called Himself “Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,” and because of this they were not to serve any other god. This theme is woven all through Deuteronomy 6-8. Because God…
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The Trinity Pervades Reality
We see the distinct actions of each Person of the Trinity at work in creation. God the Father, the initiator, is the fountain and wellspring of all things. God the Son, the Word, is the wisdom, counsel, and order of all things. God the Spirit hovers or broods over His creation, bringing the environment together…
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Ascension Sunday
Daniel 7 and Revelation 5 both deal with the ascension of Jesus Christ to the Father. First, some background. Daniel lived most of his life during the seventy year exile of the Jews following the fall of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had destroyed the city and the temple and had carried off most of…
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Yea, hath God said?
The serpent could say, from a certain point of view, that he didn’t really lie to the woman. They ate the fruit and did not immediately fall over and stop breathing. Their eyes were opened and God affirms that since they have eaten, they have “become like one of us in knowing good and evil.”…
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Creation and New Creation
Adam was created as the head of humanity. He was placed in the garden to work and keep it, that is, to serve and guard the sanctuary as a priest and to meet with God on the Sabbath day. He was blessed and given dominion and authority over all of creation. Adam’s transgression brought sin,…
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Sit at My Right Hand
Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Psalm 110 starts with the Father calling the Son to sit on His throne until His enemies are made His footstool. This is of course a position of victory; His enemies are under His feet. But the footstool…
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Conquering the nations
When Joshua meets the commander of the army of the Lord, He is standing with His drawn sword in His hand. This is a military conquest, a war against flesh and blood. In Revelation 19, this same commander sits on His horse with His sword in His mouth. This is not a war against flesh…
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Meeting God
The book of Hebrews shows how the Old Covenant types and shadows are all fulfilled in Christ. The Old Covenant saints received the promises, but “did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” This “something better” that these saints…
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Devoted to Destruction
When Jericho falls, the city is devoted to destruction. It is a whole burnt offering. The entire city is put to the sword and burned with fire as an offering to Yahweh. This is not something that is handled by a soldier or regular citizen. An offering could not be burned with fire lit by…